Winter Elric
by Wolfsblood5712
Summary: Ed and Winter are sent on separate missions by the Fuhrer, ending with disastrous results. Just a short oneshot. It takes place after my fic One Foot In Front of the Other and after my oneshot Moonlight Confessions, and sets up for the sequel I'm working on: Eyes Like Diamonds


My eyes narrowed as I flipped through the file, unsettled by my orders. Ed was beside me, and he too was uneasy. The fact that we had received separate sets of orders was unusual; we almost always worked as a team. In fact, I could remember only a handful of times we had been separated. Even more concerning than that was the fact that our orders had been sent straight from the top.

Fuhrer Bradley himself had given these orders, and Ed and I were among the few who knew the secrets of our leader. Ed wasted no time in ranting to Mustang about the injustice and inconveniences of the orders he'd received, despite his knowledge that the man couldn't do a thing about it. I sighed as he yelled, but didn't bother to stop him. I was frustrated too, to be honest, although I wasn't going to take it out on our superior officer. Roy let Ed rant for a few minutes before interrupting him to calmly inform him that there was nothing he could do to fix it, so if Ed had a problem he could take his rant to the Fuhrer himself. Ed winced at the suggestion as his eyes flicked nervously to me. I cringed at the reminder that, because of what I was, Ed and I couldn't risk drawing anymore attention to ourselves than necessary. We'd already almost blown my cover when I'd returned to the military with auto-mail after disappearing for so long. The metal limbs would've drawn attention on their own, but combined with the length of time we were missing, there were tons of new rumors flying around. Despite my suspicion that the Fuhrer already knew I was a chimera, his policy on my kind was strict and well known. Even if he were for some reason sparing me, if the truth about what I was got out, he'd be backed into a corner. He'd have no choice but to end me, and I had no doubt it would be in a public, humiliating, and excruciating manner. So Ed and I had to lay low lest we test our leader's patience.

Ed scowled at Mustang before stomping out, leaving me with little choice but to follow. I threw a hasty apology over my shoulder as I rushed after my boyfriend, but Mustang knew better than to be offended by his explosive temper, and waved it away with a smile. Ed was halfway to the stairs already, but he paused to let me catch up. We fell in step then, though neither of us talked. We were lost in our own thoughts; absorbed by the orders weighing heavy on our minds.

It felt too much like a trap. Ed and my missions were at the same time, in locations that were on opposite sides of Central. It's like Bradley _wanted_ us separated. I knew Ed was one of the Homonculi's "human sacrifices," but who knew what that meant? Sure they were keeping him alive for now, but the title sounded anything but good. What if these orders were set up to separate us and lead Ed into a trap so the Homunculi could capture him with minimum difficulty? But if it was indeed a trap, it was a perfect one; as state alchemists, Ed and I had no option but to follow our orders to the letter or be arrested and shot for insubordination.

It wasn't until we'd made it back to our hotel room that Ed finally broke the silence. "Look," He murmured, as if he'd given it some thought, "Why don't you take Al with you? He won't mind, and I'll be fine on my own." I smiled, but shook my head. "You two have been fighting together for six years now. His style fits with yours a lot better than it does with mine. Besides, I'd feel better if you have someone you can trust watching your back, and you'll feel better if you don't have to worry about your little brother getting hurt." Al was out getting groceries at the moment, but I was certain he would have agreed with me if he were here. Ed frowned, something tense and unsettled in his eyes. "I'll still worry about you." He mumbled.

I smiled, and my tail twitched with amusement at his embarrassment of admitting he cared. We'd been dating for _months_ now and he still blushed scarlet when people asked if we were a couple. Even after our shared kiss, he remained easily flustered. Winry and I had talked about it when I was in Resembool, and she had laughed at his awkwardness just as much as I had, though she'd admitted she found it annoying.

I, on the other hand, thought it was downright adorable how easily flustered he was when it came to us. He was getting better about it, and I knew eventually our relationship would be smoother and far less awkward, which _would_ be nice, but I was patient, and I enjoyed this funny, awkward stage as much as I knew I'd enjoy the effortless ease we'd have one day. It was something I'd glimpsed in the moments we were closest; the moments we couldn't trip over our words and mess up what we were trying to say. They were the moments our hearts and minds were one, like when we'd kissed, and he'd wiped away my tears.

I pulled away from my thoughts as I realized I'd been staring into his eyes for heaven knows how long without offering a single word in response to his statement. Now it was my turn to blush, though I forced down the awkwardness that rose in me. It took me a moment to recall what he'd said and come up with a reasonable response. "Well," I _finally_ replied, "I'll fight much better if I know you're safe." He looked like he wanted to argue, but for once he didn't. In fact, he even went so far as to _agree with me._ "You're right." He consented, his gaze breaking away from mine, only to return with a desperate intensity. "Just... _please, Winter,"_ He begged earnestly, trying to spill his desperation into his voice so I could understand how important this was to him, " _ **Please**_ _be careful. Don't get hurt. Come back."_ The raw anguish in his tone was emphasized by the look in his eyes, and the knowledge that he had every right to be afraid. He had, after all, nearly lost me not so long ago. My throat closed up with the threat of tears, and I couldn't find the words to promise. So instead I leaned against him and let him hold me, his arms crushing me to his chest. I flattened my ears as he buried his face in my hair, the promise I couldn't speak passing between us. _We'll both promise. We'll be careful and safe. We'll come home tomorrow night with finished reports and successful missions. And no one, nothing, will break the oath between us._

I blended with the shadows, my paws whispering across the cold stone beneath me as I watched my target. Stealth was far easier in my wolf form, and the lone guard I saw didn't know I was coming until he was lying on the pavement. His head hit hard enough that he passed out, and I was confident I could get in and out long before he came around. I thought it strange that he was the only guard, but even after I did a second sweep of the perimeter, I found no others. Still clinging to the shadows, I shifted through my human form so I could climb through the open window I'd located on the side of the building. I made it through easily, and met no resistance once I was within the building. I found myself in a large, open room with stacks of crates lining the walls.

My mission was to investigate the contents of this warehouse. On a face value, it seemed easy, but the catch was that the people using this building for storage were rumored to have connections with a terrorist group the military had been trying to stamp out for years, and the tip we'd received suggested they'd been selling ammunition. There was a small room to my left, and a sort of loft above my head. The room was locked, so I doubted any trouble would come from there, and from what I could see of the loft, it looked empty. Still, I kept my ears flat against my head and my tail close against my legs, wary of anyone seeing me, even if it were through a window.

I knelt next to one of the crates on the floor and twisted my bracelet so the charm, a silver transmutation circle, rested in the palm of my hand. A blue flash that I managed to cover and the quiet whine of alchemy were the only things that disrupted my stealth, and since I still hadn't seen anyone, I wasn't too worried about making a little noise. I leaned closer to the crate, peering into the hole I'd opened in the side. My ears perked up of their own volition in accordance to my curiosity. It didn't look like anything illegal; just lots and lots of thick, blue fabric. but when I pulled some out to get a closer look, I realized that it wasn't just fabric. I tugged at it again and managed to pull an entire piece of fabric free of the box. It was a large, blue coat, identical to those worn by Amestris' soldiers. I shook it out to make sure I wasn't mistaken, and something folded in the swaths of fabric clattered to the ground. when I picked it up, I realized our tip must've had some credit to it, because the object was a military grade firearm. It wasn't loaded, but I had little doubt that ammunition would be nearby as well. They must be selling ammunition and firearms, and using the shipment of uniforms (which, though also illegal, was far less suspicious as long as no one looked too closely at the fabric they were shipping,) as a cover.

I stuffed the gun and the coat back into the box and sealed it again with alchemy, considerably more on edge. Terrorists wouldn't leave something this important with only one guard. No doubt there were more in hiding, and I had only been spared to avoid trouble. I was in uniform, after all, since this mission was for the Fuhrer, and killing a state alchemist would definitely bring more trouble than a covert operation would want. But now that I'd found their secrets, killing me suddenly became the best option. There was nothing protecting me anymore.

My ears pricked as I hear a soft click, and I threw myself to the floor without a second thought. A bullet just barely missed me, so close I could feel the breath of its passing. I shifted to my wolf form, suddenly more concerned with saving my life than concealing my identity, and tore towards the nearest cover I could find, then switched into my human form again to slide into the crevice between the boxes and the wall, all in one fluid motion. There was a clear shot to the exit from here, but I could hear shouts and footsteps and see shadowy shapes moving just past the window. I cursed my stupidity as I realized I was completely surrounded. There must have been more men in the loft, and like an idiot, I hadn't even bothered to check.

Now they'd not only decided to kill me, but called in backup to cut off my escape as well. I was in a large, open room with only one hiding place, and they'd seen exactly where I'd gone. The space was narrow, which would limit their approach, but that was little consolation. Even if they could only come for me one at a time, they had guns and I didn't. On top of that I had put myself in a space too small to fight, and while I was surrounded by who knows how much live ammunition, I couldn't risk using my alchemy. Besides, I'd never been very good at using alchemy to fight anyways. A tall, pale man rounded the corner and shot at me, and I managed to dodge again by dropping to the ground, but I knew it was little use. He knew my tricks now and wouldn't miss a second time. I'd bought myself seconds; nothing more.

A smirk spread across his face as he realized I was trapped, and he took a step towards me, a sick sort of amusement dancing in his eyes. I got to my feet again shakily, forcing myself to meet his eyes. I wanted to die on my feet. I wanted to die without fear, staring into the face of my killer. I wanted to die like the soldier I was. But I couldn't force the fear from my eyes and I couldn't stop shaking. Well, even if I couldn't die like a soldier, at least I wouldn't die on the ground like a dog.

My murderer took another step towards me, clearly enjoying my fear. I gritted my teeth and stood my ground. I felt a cold draft at my back and realized the door had opened. There must be more men coming and it would all be over in a few seconds. The man I was facing glanced over my shoulder and his eyes widened as he aimed his gun a little more quickly at me. I closed my eyes, unable to watch what I knew was about to happen.

 _I'm sorry Ed._ I thought as the sharp crack of gunfire met my ears, followed by a pain like none I'd felt before. I vaguely felt my body hit the floor as my eyes snapped open, my vision going white as the pain enveloped me. A strangled noise that was half a scream and half a sob left my throat as I lay on the floor in a pool of my own blood, curled in on myself and waiting to die. but for some reason, death didn't come. My sense of time was skewed in the midst of that agony so I'm not sure how much passed, but eventually the torment resolved into a dull ache centered in my left leg, just above my auto-mail port. I had closed my eyes again, and I had to fight with my mind to open them. My gaze fell on my leg, covered in blood and still spurting more, then sideways to where the soldier had been standing. I yelped in alarm as I realized he was now nothing but a charred corpse.

I cried out again as I felt hands on me, helping me up, and tried to fight off what I assumed was another person aiming to kill me, only to melt in relief as a familiar scent filled my nose. "Colonel?" I murmured, confusion swelling within me as I met his obsidian eyes. The flames of a fire somewhere behind us were reflected in his dark orbs, and with a rush of gratitude I realized he'd just saved my life. "Roy, why are you here?" I asked, feeling dizzy and baffled. He frowned, and his eyes fell to the large amount blood staining the floor beneath us. "Fullmetal seemed worried yesterday, so I thought I'd make sure you were all right." He said distractedly as he tore a piece of fabric from his sleeve to tie around my leg. "This might hurt but I need to stop the bleeding." He warned me. I nodded, and realized he must have taken on all the terrorists single-handedly, as I didn't see anyone else here. I frowned as I realized how useless I was. I had almost died and done nothing to defend myself, yet my superior had waltzed in with his gloves and flame alchemy and put the entire base out of commission.

Then, my eyes widened in panic as a realization hit me. What was the reflection I had seen in his eyes a moment ago? _He just used flame alchemy in a warehouse filled with live ammo, and the fire isn't out yet._ my stomach twisted as I realized what that meant. "Colonel, we have to get out of here now!" I shouted, my tone suddenly urgent as I fought to stand, "The boxes, there's-" I got no farther before I was cut off by the roar of an explosion. I threw myself to the floor for the third time that day, pressing my hands over my ears as the ground shook beneath me. The actual explosion didn't reach me, unlike the one I'd been caught in just outside of Resembool, but I could feel the flames as they found me, relentless in their fury. I howled in agony as they danced across my skin, consuming it with every touch. I felt my flesh melting away to expose the next layer, then another, until the heat had reached that too. I writhed in agony, trying to put out the flames that clung to me, and finally managed, but the damage they'd done left me helpless. I passed out in the midst of the fire, my last thought that I was going to burn to death in this place.

Ed frowned as he looked around the bar. He'd been sent to capture one individual, but when he'd confronted the intoxicated man, it had turned into a fight that involved every customer present. Apparently, this guy was a regular, and he'd had no shortage of friends. Edward and Alphonse had been forced to knock out every person in the room to get to their target. Ed was tired, but except for a few scratches, he was none the worse for the scuffle. Despite his worry that the mission was meant to be a trap, it had been simple. Maybe it really was just a coincidence that he and Winter had been separated. He turned the fugitive over to the local MP's, and even filled out his report on time. He finished everything he'd needed to do in record time, eager to return to Winter. He and Al had headed back to the hotel after that, but she hadn't been there. It unsettled him, but he reasoned that her case must've taken a little longer than his had. As the sun sank in the sky, though, Ed couldn't ignore the anxious feeling gnawing at his gut.

Finally, unable to stand it, he called Colonel Mustang's office. He knew it was too late for anyone to still be there, but he _had_ to do _something._ His worry increased when Lieutenant Hawkeye answered the phone. "Hello?" She murmured. From the tired sound of her voice and the way she didn't bother with proper introductions, Ed could tell something was wrong. "Lieutenant?" He questioned, trying to keep his anxiety out of his voice, "Sorry to bother you so late, but have you heard anything from the Colonel? Or... from Winter?"

Hawkeye sighed, and Ed was not comforted by the uncertainty he could hear in her tone. _Nothing_ rattled Hawkeye. It must be bad. "Neither of them have returned yet. The Colonel sent his report in via Lieutenant Colonel Hughes, but..." She hesitated. "Edward, maybe you should come read it yourself." Ed didn't even bother answering as he hung up the phone and set off for the office. It wasn't long before he got there, and the Lieutenant had the file ready. He was about to read it when the phone on Mustang's desk went off. Riza answered it, then raised an eyebrow as she held it out to Ed. He took it, wondering who on earth would call Mustang's office looking for him.

"Fullmetal!" Ed's eyes widened at the sound of the worried voice at the other end of the line. "Thank goodness, I've been trying to reach you for fifteen minutes. Why are you in my office? Never mind, it doesn't matter. We need to talk." Ed struggled to get a word in edgewise. "Colonel, what is it?" There was a short pause before his superior officer spoke again. "Ed... it's about Winter." Ice filled the alchemist's veins at those words; words that threatened to tell of broken promises.

———————————————————————

A burst of cold air brought me around just a little, enough to realize I wasn't dead. I felt rough hands on me, and the sound of wailing sirens and ragged, shallow breathing filled my ears. I'm not sure if the breathing was mine or Mustang's; I didn't have enough presence of mind to tell the difference. I knew it was Mustang carrying me, cursing and desperately begging me to stay alive, his voice tight with pain and worry. I couldn't find the strength to answer him. Then I was passed to someone else, someone unfamiliar, and if I had been in less pain I might have panicked. but the hurt was too much for me to think so I didn't resist as I was set on a soft surface and moved somewhere else. I felt quick, efficient hands on me and heard calm but urgent voices as another siren, louder this time, filled my ears. After a moment the deafening sound was joined with the lurch of movement, but still the sensations made no sense to my pain addled mind. Then, another voice, closer this time, muttered something to me in a tone that sounded rushed but calming. I felt someone checking my pulse and someone else held their fingers to my nose to check if I was still breathing. The voice spoke to me again, slowly and deliberately, right in my ear. "If you can hear me, brace yourself. We've got to start treating your burns." I felt like I was going to pass out again. Everything hurt and I couldn't breathe right and I had no idea who was talking to me or what they wanted. I couldn't force my mind to string together or make any sense of the words they'd just murmured.

Then, suddenly, whatever had been said didn't matter as a deep, jolting pain blossomed across my skin. It spread across my body slowly, like I was on fire all over again, as more and more of my wounds were exposed to air. I screamed as my eyes jerked open, and I fought against the people hurting me, only to be forced back down by hands that had lost any semblance of gentleness. I fought for a moment more, exquisite agony lending me strength, but they kept me down. I shuddered as a single, broken sob escaped my lips. Then, I went limp as the darkness took me.

When I again woke, the dizzying sensation of movement was gone. My wounds still ached terribly, but the pain was duller; muted somehow. I took a shaky breath, shivering as the smell of antiseptic reached my nostrils. I wanted to open my eyes, but suddenly I was terribly afraid of what I would see if I did. I gritted my teeth, hoping so, so badly that I wasn't where I thought I was. I wasn't sure I could take it if I was. _Just stay calm, Winter._ I told myself. I still couldn't find the courage to open my eyes, because some part of me knew that once I did there'd be no pretending that I wasn't where I suspected I was. So instead, I called out to the last person I clearly remembered being at my side, praying that he would be the one to answer. "Colonel?"

My voice sounded strained and cracked, and the words scraped painfully along my throat. I flinched as the sound of a voice that was clearly _not_ Colonel Mustang reached my ears. "Oh good, you're awake!" My eyes shot open, and I felt panic rising in me as my gaze landed on the nurse beside me. "No need to worry," The nurse reassured me, "You're just at the hospital-" That was as far as she got before the panic took control of me. I jerked away from her, trying desperately to get up so I could escape, my fear increasing when I realized I was too weak to even rise. "No... no!" I gasped, still struggling to force my aching, burning body to listen to my commands. "Miss, please calm down, we're only trying to help-"

 _"NO!"_ I howled, crying out as my movements aggravated my pain, "Let me go... _let me go!"_ The nurse frowned when I didn't calm down as she'd asked. "He said you might react badly, but I _was_ hoping it wouldn't come to this." She stepped out of the room, her footsteps echoing as she walked farther away. I relaxed, panting from pain and exertion, my mind racing as I tried to think of a way to escape. But when I couldn't even move... I winced as I realized just how _helpless_ I was. At least the nurse had left me alone. I wasn't sure how long she'd be gone but surely I could think up an escape plan before her return.

My thoughts were cut short by the sound of footsteps approaching. I froze, my eyes wide as the door to my room opened once more. The nurse entered again, and this time she was not alone. four men flanked her, and they looked strong. I whimpered as they approached me, and my tail flicked between my legs, clearly showing my fear. I tried to get away again, but there was nowhere to go. Two grabbed my arms and the other two grabbed my legs as they forced me down on my stomach. I yelled for them to let me go and fought to shake them off but my struggles were so weak they were laughable. Then, I heard the click of the main catch of my auto-mail being released. I stilled in their grip, my fear suddenly taking a different course and paralyzing me. My auto-mail? They couldn't take my auto-mail. Even if they thought I was a danger to myself, I was clearly too weak to hurt them so surely they wouldn't... My thoughts were cut off by a raw agony that started at my shoulder port and filled every part of me before fading. It was brief, but it was intense enough to bring tears to my eyes. I screamed in pain and fear as they pulled my arm free from it's port. I knew immediately that something was wrong. Even disconnecting the nerves wasn't usually so painful. Maybe my burns had spread to my skin and come far too close to the nerves, leaving them more sensitive than they should be. But worse than that, I was now even more helpless than I was before. Then I felt them release the main catch on my left leg. "No, please... I need it... don't..." I begged, my voice a whimper.

I lay trembling in their grasp, hoping that maybe if I stopped fighting they'd change their minds, but my pleas didn't sway them. I gritted my teeth and hissed in pain as they roughly jerked my auto-mail free. It was all I could do not to scream again. My head spun as they forced me onto my side, and pulled leather straps around my wrists and ankles, tight enough that they bit into my skin. I begged them to stop, all the fight in me gone. I _hated_ how helpless I was without my auto-mail. I was so scared... Finally, the men let go, but one of them stayed by my side, as if he were ready to hold me down again at a moment's notice. I was confused by this until my eyes fell on the nurse, and the needle she was holding. All the fight I'd just lost rushed back into me as I jerked and writhed against my restraints.

"Now, dear, you know we're only trying to help you." The nurse said in a sweet, patronizing tone. My ears flattened against my skull, and a wave of nausea and lightheadedness gripped me as she rubbed an alcohol wipe against my skin. "No... nononononononono please... PLEASE DON'T!" But she only shook her head in mock sympathy as she moved the needle closer to my skin. I should've talked. I should've argued. I should have done anything I could to hide the fear and _horror_ I felt at the thought of that thing piercing my skin and forcing drugs into my veins. If I could have hidden it, maybe I could've convinced her that I was calm and didn't need to be sedated after all. But the terror gripped my mind and transformed me into a babbling wreck until it was all I could manage to beg. And it _wasn't working._ In a last desperate attempt, I snapped at her, trying so hard to defend myself, but it only earned me a rough hand forcing my head down onto the mattress. A broken sob escaped me, and I curled in on myself as best as I could while strapped to the bed and missing two limbs.

I squeezed my eyes shut as she probed my arm with a gloved finger, unable to watch. And then I _felt_ it; the cool metal shoved into my skin as its vile liquid invaded my veins. I jerked and fought again, but it was futile. I screamed, sobbing and whimpering as I tried to pull free. I just wanted it to _stop._ And then she finally pulled the thing free, and I was left a broken, tortured mess. But it _wasn't over._ The four men who'd been helping the nurse filed out of the room, and I flinched violently as I felt a hand grab my jaw. My eyes shot open to meet the nurse's. She held my jaw in a vise like grip, and she was far too close for comfort. Every instinct commanded me to fight again, but I could already feel the sedative taking effect.

"I suspected you might have a tendency to bite, considering you're a chimera and all, so I brought this just in case." She held up a small piece of plastic, and I stared at it in confusion. "I hate to do this, but since you _are_ half canine, and since you _clearly_ can't control it, I hope you understand. We simply can't have you biting anyone." Then, before I could gather my wits about me enough to be insulted by her comment, she forced the thing into my mouth and over my tongue. I recoiled, trying to spit whatever it was out, but I _couldn't._ It was clearly designed to keep me from biting. It was large enough that my jaw locked around it, so I couldn't spit it out, and with my only remaining hand tied down, I couldn't pull it free. _I couldn't even close my mouth,_ I realized with belated horror. It was dreadful, having even that small freedom taken from me. I looked back at the nurse, silently pleading for her to take it out, forcing my tail to wag to show her I wouldn't try to bite again if only she'd take it _out,_ but she only gave me that sickening smile again and walked out of the room, leaving me alone. _Alone,_ with aching burns and a sore jaw and my two remaining limbs _throbbing_ where the straps bit into them. The jerks hadn't even given me enough sedative to knock me out, so my mind was left drifting in an icy fog with no focus but the pain I was in.

I don't know how long I lay there suffering, but each second seemed an eternity. Finally, the maddening silence was disturbed. My ears pricked up as my door opened, a muted terror jumping through me. But when the person stepped into my line of sight, I couldn't stop my tail from wagging, for real this time. _Roy._ My fearful eyes met his in a silent request for him to stay, and he grimaced when he saw what they'd done to me. "Oh, Winter." He murmured when he recognized the fear in my eyes. "And they drugged you too, didn't they?" He sighed as he noticed how distant my gaze was. He turned to leave and a pitiful whimper left my throat, muffled by the plastic in my mouth. My superior stopped and turned to face me, waiting until he was sure he had my attention. "I'm not leaving, Winter. I'm just going to call Fullm- Ed." He corrected himself, using the name more likely to get through to me. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? To have Ed here?" His words were slow and deliberate, and he waited as my drug influenced mind struggled to make sense of them. Ed... of course I wanted Ed to come. My tail wagged in wordless approval of the suggestion, but my ears drooped when, in response, My commanding officer left. I whined sadly when I realized I was alone again, but there wasn't anything I could do about it. Before long, though, he was back. My tail wagged again, and I struggled to see around him when I remembered he'd said something about Ed. Was Ed with him? Roy winced at my pitiful hope. "He's not here yet, Winter." He murmured. "I called him though, and he's on his way. I'll stay with you until he gets here so you won't have to be alone." I perked up a little at the suggestion, relieved that my silent solitude had ended.

Roy settled himself on the edge of my mattress, and my foggy mind managed to grasp the fact that he, too, was wearing hospital scrubs. He saw me looking, and smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine. You're the one I'm worried about." I glanced at him questioningly, and he raised an eyebrow. "They didn't tell you?" His eyes fell on my restraints. "Then again, I take it they didn't really have much to say to you if they saw fit to do that..." He rubbed his forehead, clearly trying to ward off a headache. "Gosh, Winter. What'd you do? I want to untie you, but if you freak out they'll just tie you down again and make me leave too. I'm not supposed to be out of my room, so it's safe to say I'm not supposed to be in here either." For a moment his tone worried me, and I was afraid he might leave to keep himself out of trouble, but when he again looked at me, helpless and hurting, the expression on his face reassured me. There was a protectiveness and fury in his eyes that managed to reach my mind even through the drugs. "When Fullmetal gets here, we'll get you out of that." He murmured, more to himself than me. "He's always had a knack for keeping you calm in situations like this anyways." Roy's hand rested on my head, gently rubbing behind my ears. "Sorry, Winter." He apologized, "I should've been faster, back at the warehouse. I should've known better, than to start a fire there..." He sighed as his hand stilled, and my icy eyes searched his obsidian ones. He seemed to sense both my forgiveness and my question.

A sad smile pulled at the corner of his lips. "You're pretty much covered in burns. The majority of your back and sides are burnt, and the area surrounding your auto-mail was messed up pretty badly too since the metal heated up. It'll hurt, but you'll pull through. You lost a lot of blood from your leg but they got it patched up, and it should heal even faster than the burns." He paused for a moment once he'd listed my injuries, and cursed softly as he buried his face in his hands. "Fullmetal's gonna kill me." He muttered. Then, with another glance at me, he added, "And I'm not so sure I blame him." We sat in silence for a while after that. I'd wanted to reassure my superior, but I couldn't find a way to without my voice.

After a while I felt the drugs losing their hold on me, and soon after that my mind was clear again. Roy seemed to notice the clarity returning to my expression, since my fear became sharper with it, and reassured me that Ed would be here soon. It wasn't long after that when I heard a voice I knew all too well. "CRITICAL CARE UNIT MY FOOT! IF YOU DON'T SHOW ME WHERE SHE IS _RIGHT NOW,_ I SWEAR I'LL GO THROUGH EVERY ROOM IN THIS STUPID EXCUSE FOR A HOSPITAL!" My eyes widened as the voice, _Ed's voice,_ reached my ears, beautiful even in its anger. I tensed in excitement as loud, defiant footsteps drew closer, accompanied by slamming doors and the nervous complaints of nurses. Then, at last, _my_ door was thrown open, and Edward Elric stomped into my room, glaring furiously. His expression softened when his eyes met mine.

"Winter." He breathed, a flash of agony deep enough to rival my own stealing into his golden gaze. "Hold on, Wolf." He murmured softly, "I'll get you out of this." Roy seemed surprised at the pet name Ed used, but he didn't understand. It wasn't derogatory, like the nurse had been when she called me an animal. He called me that because he knew me better than anyone ever would. Anyone who heard it would assume he was referring to my state alchemist's title, the Wolfblooded Alchemist, but it was more than that. It was a reminder that he knew me down to my deepest secret, and that he would never betray the trust I'd put in him.

A frantic nurse, hovering at Ed's heels, tried to stop him as he moved to free me. "Sir... Mr. Elric! I really must insist you stop... She wouldn't calm down before, and we need to keep her still..." Ed whirled on her, his expression venomous. "Look at her." He spat, "She's terrified! Do you know why?!" Ed was a head shorter than the nurse, yet she cowered before his anger. If I hadn't been in so much pain, it might've been funny. "She was tortured! Her freak of a father _tortured_ her! And everything about this stupid room is reminiscent of her worst nightmares! Aren't you scared of anything? What the heck would **you** do if you woke up in your worst nightmare?!" The nurse took a step back, clearly uncomfortable. "You could've tried to calm her down, or called her commanding officer when you found out she was a state alchemist, but instead you incompetent _idiots_ tie her down, drug her, and _gag her?!_ **What right do you have to treat her like an animal?!** And what the _heck_ do you think you're doing, taking her auto-mail?! Do you know how much it freakin hurts to have the nerves disconnected?! Reattaching it's even worse! You had _no right_ to do that! Do you idiots rip the limbs off of your other patients when they get a little hard to handle? Do you shove a gag in their mouths like they're animals? Do you leave them alone, drugged and hurting, in the middle of their worst nightmares?! Or is that a special treatment reserved for chimeras?! Let me guess, it's okay because they're not _really_ humans, right? _Answer me!"_

The nurse didn't seem to know quite how to respond. She bit her lip and her eyes moved to me, which set Ed off all over again. "Don't you dare touch her!" He snarled lethally, stepping to shield me from her view. The nurse yelped and fled the room, probably to fetch security. Ed sighed, and his anger melted away as he knelt beside me. Roy shook his head. "I know what you're thinking Fullmetal, but rather than _fight_ all of the security staff she brings back, you should tell them Winter's under military guard. They won't question it, and they can't make you leave if you tell them you're assigned to her guard." Ed scowled, clearly more interested in beating up the people who'd frightened me, but he nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right... but I still wanna pound their faces in." Roy grinned mirthlessly. "You and me both, kid."

Ed glanced at my restraints and scowled darkly. "Mustang, they've seen that she's a chimera..." The Colonel nodded. "Don't worry. I've paid off all the right people already to insure that this stays right here. Although, I didn't realize they'd take such... _precautions_ because of it." Ed's hands pulled the restraints loose, and I stretched, relieved to be free. Then he reached for the plastic, hesitating as I flinched. "Hey, it's alright Winter." He murmured, "I'm gonna get this thing out of your mouth. Just let me have a look at it." It hurt, enough that I didn't want him to touch it, but I held still as he pulled at it experimentally, wincing as sharp pain followed his touch. Ed cursed. "Roy," He muttered, "The idiots can't even get a gag in right. I'm pretty sure it's cutting into her cheek and probably her tongue too." Mustang frowned. "Can you get it out?" Ed hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah, I think so." He tilted my head up so my eyes met his. "This is gonna hurt, but I'll be quick, and you'll feel a lot better after I get this thing out of your mouth." He smiled at the trust he saw in my eyes, and gripped my jaw gently, so differently than the nurse had earlier.

"Alright," He warned me as his thumb rubbed my sore jaw, "Get ready." He grabbed the gag, and after a minute managed to work it free. He glared at the thing distastefully before tossing it to the side. I could taste blood, so he'd probably been right about it cutting me, but it felt a lot better without the plastic forcing my jaw open. Ed ruffled my hair as I finally relaxed, still shaking from what I'd been put through but far calmer with him beside me. "Are you okay?" Ed asked me. Roy moved over to give him room and he sat next to me, smiling reassuringly. "I'm just scared." I murmured, "And it hurts." His expert fingers rubbed behind my ears, far more skilled than Roy. "Don't worry." He soothed me, "I'll protect you." And just like that, the fear was suddenly something I could deal with. I leaned into his touch, just happy to be free and to have him beside me. "Thank you." I murmured, and closed my eyes as I curled up against him.

I was almost asleep when Roy and Ed started talking, but not so far gone that their voices didn't wake me. Rather than complain, however, I elected to listen, in case there was some bit of information they wouldn't discuss while they thought I could hear. "How bad is it?" My boyfriend murmured, presumably trying not to wake me. "Well, it's definitely not _good_." Roy answered. "She's _covered_ in burns, and the scars aren't gonna be pretty. On top of that, she lost a lot of blood from a bullet wound in her thigh. It was enough that they had to give her a transfusion. Fullmetal, we..." I felt Ed stiffen as Roy's voice caught in is throat, though his hands didn't falter as they continued to rub my ears soothingly. " _We almost lost her."_ Roy finally managed. "They told me... they really didn't think she was gonna make it. It's a miracle she pulled through. And she's still on thin ice. She's running a fever, although it's not too high yet, and because of how deep her burns are she's at a huge risk for infection. I hate to say it, because I saw how much this scares her, but she's gonna have to stay here for a while longer. At least until she's more stable." I suppressed the shiver that would betray the fact I was listening. I knew neither of them wanted to scare me, and I had no doubt that Roy would sugarcoat things if he knew I was listening. Ed probably wouldn't, because we'd promised to be truthful to each other about such things after my auto-mail surgery, but he still wouldn't be happy.

I felt Ed's eyes on me as he shifted a little closer, and left off rubbing my ears to run his fingers through my hair. "She'll be okay." He said, and though I could hear the smile in his voice I also felt him tense, almost as if it were a command rather than a reassurance, and his touch, though still gentle, somehow felt a little more protective. "I'm here now." He added, as if that were the sole reason, because he knew that, to me, it made all the difference. Mustang readily agreed with him. "I'm sure that if anyone can help her through this you can."

It was quiet for a moment before Ed spoke again. "I can't believe they took her auto-mail..." He murmured, more to himself than Mustang. There was a pained, disbelieving edge to his voice. "That's just... wrong." I felt him shudder at the mere thought of being so helpless; it was a sensation he knew far too well. "Are you going to reattach it?" Roy asked, but I knew the answer before my boyfriend replied. "Even if I knew where they'd put it, she's too weak to deal with that much abuse to her nervous system. The idiots shouldn't have removed it in the first place. They should've at least called an experienced mechanic. It looks like they just pulled it off without even releasing all the catches. _Idiots._ " He spat the last word furiously, and I nearly pitied the poor security team that dared to try and remove him from the room.

"I'm sorry." Mustang muttered, "This shouldn't have happened. I made a stupid mistake, and she ended up suffering for it." Ed cut him off before he could continue. "I read the report you submitted last night, Colonel. Lieutenant Hawkeye showed it to me right before you called. If you hadn't showed up when you had, she might not be breathing right now. So... thank you." His voice broke a little, and my heart with it. "And thank you for being here with her while I couldn't." He added softly, a touch of guilt in his tone.

Despite feigning sleep, I couldn't just listen while they started trying to blame themselves for this. I rolled over, gritting my teeth at the pain that flared across my skin and nearly forced a cry to my lips. "Edward Elric." I managed, smirking a little at how surprised both he and my Roy seemed to be when they realized I wasn't asleep. My voice rasped painfully, far from the commanding tone I wanted, but I refused to let that stop me. "You had a mission from the Fuhrer, so don't you dare guilt trip yourself for not being here sooner." Roy opened his mouth to speak, and I shot him a withering glare. "And like Ed already said, Sir, my injuries are _not_ your fault. You two always try and shoulder the blame for everything and you need to stop. I'm here, I'm breathing, and the jerks that shot at me aren't. So let it go."

My icy eyes met obsidian, then gold again. "Roy, thank you for saving my life. And Ed..." I trailed off, and he smiled a little. He knew I could never find words when it came to him, because words could scarcely describe what he was to me. "Thank you for being here now." I finally settled on, "Thank you for being here and for being strong for me when I'm afraid." For the first time in a long while, both the Flame and Fullmetal Alchemists were at a loss for words. And then Ed was pulling me into a hug, careful of my wounds, as Roy wrapped his arms around both of us. I smiled, and for a moment I wasn't afraid. I was simply content in the warmth and the unspoken emotion between the three of us in that moment. I couldn't stop my tail from wagging. "You kids." Roy finally murmured, his voice thick with emotion, "Don't you ever die on me." Then, reigning in his emotions, he added, "That's an order." Ed and I smirked simultaneously. "Yes, Sir." We joked, pushing aside the seriousness of the words we'd just spoken.

For now, we were all here together. For now, we could forget that sometimes there were broken promises.

Ed helped me lie back down, a puzzled look passing across his features as his eyes fell on my wrist. He pulled my hand towards him so he could examine the medical bracelet there, ignoring my confused look. "Mustang?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow. Mustang's expression was unreadable, though I thought I saw the barest trace of humor in his dark eyes. "They requested a name, and since she doesn't have a last name, I improvised. After all, I figured it wouldn't be _too_ long before it was actually accurate."

At Roy's last comment, Ed turned bright red and sputtered something incomprehensible. Taking advantage of his subordinate's confusion, the Colonel leaped to his feet and fled the room before Ed could gather his wits enough to strangle him. "Wha- get back here you coward!" Ed shouted before tearing out of the room after him. I laughed as I heard a frantic, "Gentlemen! This is a _hospital!"_ I knew they would be back soon, so I wasn't too worried. I curled up and pulled my knees to my chest, wincing as I aggravated my burns. Then, curious, I moved my wrist closer, wondering what had caused all the commotion. I too turned scarlet when I saw the words. The patient ID read: Winter Elric.

 **Hope that wasn't too... idk. It felt like it went on and** _ **on**_ **lol. I just kinda needed it there to set up for the sequel to One Foot In Front of the Other, which I am writing now. For those of you reading Light in the Dark, yes I am still writing it, and yes I will post more** _ **soon.**_ **I plan to finish it before I start posting my sequel, since it comes before everything I've published so far anyways. Anyways, back to this. I felt like it was too long for a oneshot, but I didn't really wanna divide it up either. I actually based it on a dream I had, which is awesome because usually my dreams are boring. Like,** _ **really**_ **boring. I hope everyone enjoys it, or at least doesn't hate it... :)**


End file.
